Customer Reviews

Bp Empire

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

...or at least, that's speaking from personal experience. As someone into heavy metal and prog rock, trance isn't a genre I could see myself growing to love. But the with the small amount of it I have heard, namely a few albums by Astral Projection, Juno Reactor and this group here, I can see myself getting into it very much. Now, I know little (read: nothing) about the psychedelic trance scene. I don't what the difference between trance, progressive trance, goa trance and psychedilic trance is. If I'm completely honest, I don't really care. But what I do know is that BP Empire is an incredible album.

Mainstream trance that you hear on the radio and in trendy clubs really isn't deserving of the name trance. This is. It does put you in, well, a trance. Its dark and psychedelic, yet somewhat delicate at the same time. At times gentle yet dark, at other times driving and almost 'heavy' (for lack of a better term), BP Empire is an album to get lost in. Yes you can dance to it, but it actually affects your mood and your imagination while listening.

A common criticism of electronic music is that it is repetitive. Not here. Apparently these guys aren't progressive trance, whatever that is, but I would definately describe these tracks as progressive, albeit using the term a little more widely than the name of a sub-genre. They build up from dark and quiet to something far more driving and exciting. The music is both beautiful and threatening at the same time.

I don't care what music you listen to. This is really great stuff and certainly not representative of the boring dog turd you hear on the radio.

Infected Mushroom continue to amaze. Their incredible blend dark, driving psychadelic trance which has become an icon of the Isreali music scene, mixed with the unbelilevable guitar, string and piano work which has become a hallmark of their style has truly earned this Haifa duo a place amongst the top psy producers in the world. The intricate combination of danceability which does not lose its value even at quite volumes offers something unique; with every listen you discover new elements of their music that you never noticed; every time you listen to the album a different track will appeal to you more than the others because everytime you listen your mood is also different. This CD is about moods; there is no track which is better than the others (although Dancing with Kadafi, Spaniard, and PGM tend to stand out in people's minds).

Infected mushroom have got to be one of the most original creators of electronic music to come around for a long time. They have put a completely new spin on Isreali psy trance, at once making it more danceable, and making it more intelligent. While their work draws upon the first greats of psy, such as hallucinogen and man with no name, they too can be considered pioneers in the genre; never before have goa artists added so much depth of classicalism and listenability that makes each track so incredibly distinct while still adhereing to the basic principles of the genre.

I would also like to point out that juno reactor do NOT make trance, and neither do Infected mushroom. At best you could call it psychadelic trance. and neither of them have ANYTHING to do with progressive trance, as another reviewer had incorrectly mentioned.

While not the greatest techno artist or trance artist, Infected Mushroom certainly does bring some interesting tricks and approaches to the land of trance. While their style can be a little muddled(sometimes a little too much going on at once), they make up for it intoxicating soundscapes, interesting and unique beats, and some actual instrumentation. Infected Mushroom is one of the few techno artists who are as much producers as they are song writers. But what better way to display their talents then in their last song(worth the price of admission alone) "Dancing with Kadafi". A lengthy number, this final track runs through several suites of different moods complete with the usual dancing synth lines, but also some impressive guitar work, some amazing strings and generally impressive composistion not normally heard in techno. If there is any reason to buy this, CD, "Dancing With Kadafi" should be reason enough. And while the rest of this CD can't compare, its certainly quality. It contains still most of the most common place progressive trance elements that Juno Reactor has(another fantastic prog. trance artist), Infected Mushroom still do with enough conviction and energy that makes it still worth your while. If it were not for DWK I probably would have knocked it down a star for its sometimes muddled sound and sometimes too common place ideas(there are some real stand out tracks in here though). But as it were, DWK is amazing and Infected Mushroom still stands out as one of the better exsisting dance groups around.

Infected Mushroom is one of many Israeli techno artists, mostly producing Goa/Psy Trance. That being said, Infected Mushroom are NOT just one of many Israeli techno artists. They practically define the genre, and transcend it. A few songs on this cd defy classifcation, namely 'Dancing with Kadafi.' The progression in their songs are absolutely stunning, and they combine elements from practically any type of music you can think of. They go from rock/trance mix with 'Never Ever Land', to almost rave with 'Unbalanced (Baby Killer remix)' and 'BP Empire,' to pure trance with 'Noise Maker' and 'PGM (Prehistoric Goa Mood)' and they finish it off with the unbelievable 'Dancing with Kadafi.' And they go to everything else in between in the tracks among these.

I cannot come up with enough superlatives to describe this cd. My only suggestion is to get your hands on it as soon as you can.

Believe me, this album is pure art, pure talent. You can dislike the genre, but you can NOT deny the genius and beauty of this album. Infected Mushroom proves again that they don't only master the musical sense, but also the mixdown process which is unbelievely clean. These guys do ALL: from the creation (writing) of each track to the mastering of their album.

I.M. stands up among the best producers in the world.

I'd give these two artists as many stars as is required to award them with whatever they need or hope to acquire from their musical endeavors.

Being a massive fan of electronica first, I don't like to categorize or differentiate in terms of labels or pre-assigned subdivisions if I don't have to, and I usually devote 6 months or so to listening to an artist (almost non-stop) before adding them to the stash of 'keepers.' IM not only made it in 6 hours (2 albums), but stands atop the list (a year later).

If you like electronica of any sort and are reading this now (and have yet to hear these guys), my only advice would be to get out do that - PDQ.

I listen to a ton of trance artists in the psychadelic/goa esque genre, and I must say that I have yet to hear anything that can even remotely compare to Infected Mushroom. The originality, detail, and craftsmanship that goes into their music is quite frankly amazing. B.P. Empire is one of many amazing Infected Mushroom albums. Generally it is a bit more ambient, and on some tracks possibly a bit more somber than some of their other realeases, but never the less it is a great album. My personal favorite tracks are Noise Maker and P.G.M.. Dancing With Kadafi is a track which is more of an experimental track, which appears to be the birth of the second disc from Converting Vegetarians (which is an experimental or like IM says, "other side" to Infected Mushroom which is like everything else they do, incredible.). Like all Infected Mushroom albums, the quality of the production of B.P. Empire is among incredible. One of the most amazing aspects of Infected Mushroom is their ability to cleanly mix a multitude of synth and percussion sounds simultaneously and make the mix sound tight and refined, and not like a huge mess. They are quite an amazing group, and at the time are probably my favorite artist in any genre. I also find it amazing how many people that I have showed Infected Mushroom to, that don't even listen to trance, are hooked on Infected Mushroom. I highly suggest that you pick up their albums if you love trance and have an open mind. I promise you will not regret it.

Infected Mushroom are a duo of 2 aliens, from the future, from another dimension, spewing out track after track of more intense and psychadelic music that only the blessed will ever hear on earth. everything is top notch. more than that, its completely mind blowing that only p cubensis will make you understand a fraction of its perfection...this one is lighter than the last 2 albums, more of a beatiful peaceful fun vibe to it than the freakout mood they went for in the last 2 albums. Only Shpongle (aka GOD)surpases this music...

Last year I asked participants of the Federation's Israel Solidarity Mission to bring me back some CDs. I told them to just go in a store and ask for the best selling CD they had. What I got was B. P. Empire, the most recent release by trance duo Infected Mushroom.

Even for those of who have been to clubs or raves and danced to the throbbing, electronic beats of techno and trance, Israeli DJs are a step beyond, creating their own sub-genre. Some call it psychedelic or Goa trance after the city in India which is a popular vacation spot for young Israelis fresh off army service. Infected Mushroom stands as one of Israel's best and most unique representatives.

Infected Mushroom's music is usually instrumental, computerized compositions employing such non-electronic elements as guitars, trumpets, chirping birds and other sound effects. A track will start mellow, and then build up with strange robotic noises coming from different speakers. The music comes to a sudden stop then come back two seconds later even stronger, making for an infectious dance beat. The team also likes to border on new-age and ambient making mini electronic symphonies.

For a couple of guys from Haifa, as opposed to trendy Tel Aviv --one of whom started as a 16-year-old classical pianist -- B.P. Empire is another solid addition to Infected Mushroom's catalog. ...

Infected mushroom continues to advance the psychedelic genre while others lag behind with their repetitive loops and boring acid breaks. High quality composition is what you get with this cd. Buy this one along with "The Gathering" and "Classical Mushroom"-you won't regret it.